Farewell to the Queen of the Skies

[jis]

A350s usually have cameras as well.

Yes. At least the Lufthansa one that I flew from Munich to Mumbai last August did IIRC.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I think most A380s have three cameras, forward looking from the nose, forward looking from the top of the vertical stabilizer and downward looking.

A350s usually have cameras as well.

Outside of A300's & A330's I've yet to fly an Airbus widebody without exterior cameras. That said you won't find them on the only US airline to operate the A350 (DL). The irony being that US airlines pioneered in-flight camera feeds back in the 1970's, but you'll probably never see them again thanks to the legacy of AA191. Apparently the pilots of B6292 were advised to disable the live satellite news before attempting to land at LAX for similar reasons.

 

[Maglev]

The irony being that US airlines pioneered in-flight camera feeds back in the 1970's, but you'll probably never see them again thanks to the legacy of AA191.

I remember a cockpit camera on an American Airlines DC-10, displayed on TV screens in the cabin. Those were such unsafe aircraft!

Back on the topic of the 747, at the Museum of Flight, in the prototype 747, there are visible numerous cables running through the ceiling. I'm sorry for not photographing them. They looked like control cables. Could anyone here enlighten me as to their purpose?

 

[mikewrite]

I don't fly so I guess I'll never have the experience of a 747, but my dad had an interesting one. At one point AT&T sent him to Saudi Arabia to help with establishing their new phone system (or something; that's the best I can recall) and he was flown there on a 747 - as the only passenger! Only dad and crew. He said it was surreal, like being aboard a ghost plane. The Saudis liked to do things in a big way.

 

[jis]

I don't fly so I guess I'll never have the experience of a 747, but my dad had an interesting one. At one point AT&T sent him to Saudi Arabia to help with establishing their new phone system (or something; that's the best I can recall) and he was flown there on a 747 - as the only passenger! Only dad and crew. He said it was surreal, like being aboard a ghost plane. The Saudis liked to do things in a big way.

I have been on a Virgin Atlantic 747 from JFK to London Heathrow with only 6 other passengers! This was 5 days after the 9/11 events.

 

[railiner]

I

Outside of A300's & A330's I've yet to fly an Airbus widebody without exterior cameras. That said you won't find them on the only US airline to operate the A350 (DL). The irony being that US airlines pioneered in-flight camera feeds back in the 1970's, but you'll probably never see them again thanks to the legacy of AA191. Apparently the pilots of B6292 were advised to disable the live satellite news before attempting to land at LAX for similar reason

I used to fly UA in the 70’s and 80’s, when at Captain’s discretion, they would allow passengers to listen in to ATC communications during pushback, taxi, takeoff, and landing on the movie channel.
I was on one redeye SFO to JFK where they didn’t show a movie, and they left it on all the way across. It was neat hearing all the “handoffs” from one center to another, as well as enroute vectors and flight level changes…

 

[jis]

I

I used to fly UA in the 70’s and 80’s, when at Captain’s discretion, they would allow passengers to listen in to ATC communications during pushback, taxi, takeoff, and landing on the movie channel.
I was on one redeye SFO to JFK where they didn’t show a movie, and they left it on all the way across. It was neat hearing all the “handoffs” from one center to another, as well as enroute vectors and flight level changes…

When multi channel AVOD systems became available, the ATC became the so called Channel 9, and it often stayed on all through the flight. It was interesting listening to Russian, Uzbekistani and Pakistani controllers before getting handed over to Indian controller on a flight from Newark to Delhi. The Pakistani controllers greeted with a "Salaam Aliqum".

 

[Devil's Advocate]

At one point AT&T sent him to Saudi Arabia [...] and he was flown there on a 747 - as the only passenger!

I have been on a Virgin Atlantic 747 from JFK to London Heathrow with only 6 other passengers! This was 5 days after the 9/11 events.

I was one of a dozen passengers on an AA 777 DFW-NRT during SARS. For those who do not fly this is an aircraft with room for 270+ people, so it was a huge waste of fuel and crew, but I guess AA had nothing else that could cover the distance. These days they'd just cancel and re-book several flights into one.

I used to fly UA in the 70’s and 80’s, when at Captain’s discretion, they would allow passengers to listen in to ATC communications during pushback, taxi, takeoff, and landing on the movie channel. I was on one redeye SFO to JFK where they didn’t show a movie, and they left it on all the way across. It was neat hearing all the “handoffs” from one center to another, as well as enroute vectors and flight level changes…

In my experience CH9 was often disabled on boarding but enabled on request (if you could convince an FA to say something). At first it was easy/obvious since you either got ATC or Jazz. Then it got more and more complicated and now I think most aircraft either never had CH9 or had it removed.

 

[jis]

Yeah. Haven't come across Ch 9 for several years now.

 

[Asher]

Having lived a short distance from LAX since the inception of the 747 I have to say it’s the nicest looking airliner I’ve ever seen. I still look at them and think how Magestic they look.

 

[railiner]

Having lived a short distance from LAX since the inception of the 747 I have to say it’s the nicest looking airliner I’ve ever seen. I still look at them and think how Magestic they look.

I would say they are too, at least since the “Connie”

 

[Bob Dylan]

Having lived a short distance from LAX since the inception of the 747 I have to say it’s the nicest looking airliner I’ve ever seen. I still look at them and think how Magestic they look.

Getting to ride on and seeing "Air Force One" when it became a 747 was one of the Highlites of my Flying Life.

 

[basketmaker]

I did purposely go out of my way to take Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Chicago while on a return trip from India, just to get on a 747-8. From Delhi to Frankfurt was an A380, upstairs in Business Class.

Regretfully LH changed over to an A340 from a 747 FRA/DEN and BA went from a 747 to a 787. So DEN only sees an occasional UPS, Western Global or Atlas cargo 747 grace her runways.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Getting to ride on and seeing "Air Force One" when it became a 747 was one of the Highlites of my Flying Life.

Okay, you are now going to tell that story!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Okay, you are now going to tell that story!

I'd tell you, but then I would have to Kill You!

 

[west point]

Sad story. One Braniff trip returning from Hawaii to DAL the final flight for retiring captain suffered a fatal heart attract. Wife who was along and she decided to continue on to DAL to not upset the rest of passengers.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Regretfully LH changed over to an A340 from a 747 FRA/DEN and BA went from a 747 to a 787. So DEN only sees an occasional UPS, Western Global or Atlas cargo 747 grace her runways.

DEN receives a 346 from LH? I thought they were only being used East of ORD. The largest scheduled passenger aircraft at my hometown airport is some variant of 737 or A320, and many flights are nothing but regional jets, so I'd take an A340 or 787 in a heartbeat. We used to receive passenger and VIP 747's undergoing heavy maintenance and interior upgrades but that market dried up years ago.

 

[BlackDiamond]

To bring it all back to 747, when was the first time you flew on a 747?

Only 747 flight was SFO to Seoul South Korea in 1997 on a business trip. Flew business class as was company policy for flights over 7 hours. Was comfortable but very long. I believe it was United, not 100% sure. Also returned on a 747 flight that started in Manila. I recall the return flight on boarding had one of those "you know you are back in America" moments when the captain announced " the sooner you folks get settled down back there, the sooner we can get outta Dodge"

 

[jiml]

DEN receives a 346 from LH? I thought they were only being used East of ORD.

It's a 343 four days a week... LH447. I think the 346s are DTW and ORD, as you suggest, although one subbed for a 744 out of Toronto recently.

 

[NativeSon5859]

Here are some of my 747 memories. Long live the Queen!

2004: First 747 flight. United from SFO to DEN. I got main deck business class. Lunch time flight, believe we were served a cold cut plate. I was in sheer awe when I stepped on that 747-400….truly felt like a kid again. I enjoyed every second. Toured the upper deck when we landed.

2006: Lufthansa 747-400 FRA-DEN. We diverted to Colorado Springs due to DEN t-storms. So I got an extra three hours on the plane, which was fine by me.

2010: BNE-LAX on QANTAS. 11 hours of pure joy on the 744 in economy.

2017: My last flight on a 744, BKK-SYD on Thai. The airplane was in immaculate condition, and it was the best coach class service I ever had, until a recent flight on ANA.

 

[BlackDiamond]

I wonder what happened with the A380, which was supposed to be Airbus' answer to the 747? Apparently there are only a few left flying. Airbus apparently lost their shirts building this plane. I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh so to speak.

 

[jis]

I wonder what happened with the A380, which was supposed to be Airbus' answer to the 747? Apparently there are only a few left flying. Airbus apparently lost their shirts building this plane. I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh so to speak.

I just saw seven of them of various airlines at Heathrow a couple of hours back. So I would surmise there are a few more than a few left flying.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I wonder what happened with the A380, which was supposed to be Airbus' answer to the 747? Apparently there are only a few left flying. Airbus apparently lost their shirts building this plane.

The A380 was Airbus' answer to the needs of airports like LHR and airlines like SQ. Out of ~ 240 production aircraft roughly 130 remained active the last I checked. Airbus appears to be in the strongest financial position of its history with several popular designs and an enormous order book.

I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh so to speak.

I said something similar about the B727 but it turns out that anecdotal evidence is often erroneous.

...I've yet to fly an Airbus widebody without exterior cameras. That said you won't find them on the only US airline to operate the A350 (DL). The irony being that US airlines pioneered in-flight camera feeds...

I did a bit more reading about this and it sounds like the camera-to-cockpit setup is standard on Airbus aircraft but the camera-to-passenger interface is an extra cost option. That being said the cost must be minimal since nearly every airline outside the US seems to include this option.

 

[BlackDiamond]

The A380 was Airbus' answer to the needs of airports like LHR and airlines like SQ. Out of ~ 240 production aircraft roughly 130 remained active the last I checked. Airbus appears to be in the strongest financial position of its history with several popular designs and an enormous order book.

I happened to be watching a YT video last night that showed Emirates still flying several A380's. Apparently they had mothballed them with expectations of having new 777X's to replace them, but the Boeing 777X project is way behind schedule so they had to put the 380's back in service.

 

[jis]

Many airlines mothballed all their 380s during the pandemic. many of them have brought them out of mothballs, even those that did not order any 777X, as demand has made it a viable option again. OTOH a few have also been scrapped in the meantime.

380s were never as common a site i the US they were in Europe and Asia.

Clearly the 7 that I saw at Heathrow were not all Emirates. There were those from British Airways and Qantas and one more something AFAIR, in addition to Emirates. Frankly, in terms of comfort and spaciousness, no 777X will ever match a A380. Just IMHO of course. Just like no 777 anything will ever be upto the 747 experience either.